ACM CareerNews for Tuesday, November 19, 2024
ACM CareerNews is intended as an objective career news digest for busy IT professionals. Views expressed are not necessarily those of ACM. To send comments, please write to [email protected]
Volume 20, Issue 22, November 19, 2024
All Jobs Are Tech Jobs
Network World, November 1
A new report that examines trends in job growth and skills demand within the United States helps to explain how technology is changing existing roles and creating new opportunities. Technology jobs will contribute to significant job growth in the coming years across the U.S. At the same time, nearly every job and every profession in the future will begin to require high-tech skills. The current employment landscape and near-future outlook are altering the definition of a tech job, with three key factors leading the way: automation, AI, and an aging population.
Technology is transforming jobs at a faster pace than ever before. Every job is becoming more tech-focused, increasing the demand for workers who can blend technical expertise with industry-specific skills. As technology evolves, it is opening new opportunities across all sectors, helping businesses tackle real-world challenges more effectively. This includes educators skilled in AI for personalized learning, as well as manufacturing experts employing 3-D printing and robotics. In one way or another, all jobs will become tech jobs, and it is happening fast. Increasingly, roles will change due to the demand for tech skills and efficiencies gained through technology.
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Want a Programming Job? Learning Any Language Helps But Only One Is Essential
ZDNet, November 11
While there are many popular programming languages, there are only a relatively small number of high-priority languages that can move the needle when it comes to the job search. Based on an extensive analysis of job listings, it appears that Python is the one essential programming language that shows up over and over again. In addition, there are a handful of programming languages, such as SQL, Java, and JavaScript, that also provide significant career opportunities. If you already have these skills, it is time to put them on your resume and highlight them to employers and recruiters.
If you are just starting out as a programmer, it can be helpful to understand what languages you should focus on learning first. Based on a review of current job opportunities, Python clearly stands out as a priority language to learn. It also clear that if you have skills with languages such as SQL, HTML, Java, C++, and JavaScript, you will be very well positioned in your job hunt. While there is not a huge demand, if you have skills in the moderate demand languages of Swift, C#, PHP, TypeScript, and Go, there are jobs for you as well. But just keep in mind that not all job listings are created equal. Some job listings are posted by companies trying to collect resume data, so if or when an opportunity becomes open, they will have people to chase after to fill it. Some job listings have already been filled and are still running on the job sites.
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What Top Tech Skills Should You Learn For 2025?
Dice Insights, November 14
Some of the most promising career opportunities in 2025 will likely be related to artificial intelligence. So it could be time to learn new tech skills in AI, including those related to machine learning, generative AI, or natural language processing. While you might not have the hours and bandwidth to master something as complex as machine learning in the next few months, it is always useful to at least familiarize yourself with emerging technology. In addition, many companies are only too happy to pay for new skills training.
Generative AI remains one of the hottest new disciplines to learn for tech professionals. Generative AI models are revolutionizing content creation, design, and problem-solving. Some companies are exploring how to use generative AI in customer-facing chatbots. Others are asking their developer teams to rely on customized generative AI tools to generate code faster than ever before. With that in mind, one key skill to master is prompt engineering, which involves crafting effective prompts to guide AI chatbots and large language models. For many tech professionals, using generative AI as part of their coding workflow will become critical, so it could be worth it to learn new coding skills around generative AI.
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Starting a Career in Data Science? Here Are the Most Important Skills
Silicon Republic, November 13
Often described as one of the fastest-growing careers, data science continues to be a much sought-after role in 2024. With technologies, processes and industry demands changing seemingly all of the time, the data science profession requires someone who is highly technically skilled, but who also possesses a wide array of soft skills. Some of the most important skills that are absolutely essential for success include AI, machine learning, programming, and cloud computing.
Professionals who want to excel and innovate in the data science space are going to need significant ability in the field of AI and machine learning That is because AI and machine learning technologies enable data scientists to use algorithms to identify patterns, analyze and learn from data, make predictions, and solve complex problems. This is definitely an area of learning that anyone considering a career in data science should prioritize. Programming languages are another staple for data scientists. They are also an opportunity to boost your skills in an area that not everyone will have expertise in, particularly if you choose a powerful yet not as common language. When it comes to programming languages, data scientists should definitely aim to learn the standard, popular ones, such as Python, R, JavaScript, SQL and Swift. Much like AI and machine learning, it will be hard to get by as a data scientist without sufficient skill in and knowledge of a programming language.
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Gen Z Workers Are Swapping Jobs and It's Paying Off
Inc.com, November 13
Nearly one-third of Gen Z workers changed jobs last year, and the moves have typically paid off, in terms of higher compensation. Of these job-hoppers, 35 percent made the move in order to secure a pay increase. The report, which analyzes tax return data dating back to 1999 along with more than 7,800 survey responses, shows this strategy is working. Out of all generations, Gen Z (who made 30 percent more in 2023 than in 2022) saw the largest relative increase in earnings last year. Two-thirds of Gen Z workers expect to earn more in 2024.
Gen Z is more innovative and financially savvy than many people might expect. These younger workers are finding that they do not have to stick to the traditional 9-5 schedule to achieve financial stability. As a result, recruiters are seeing much more variety and drive in the Gen Z workforce. Currently, most members of Gen Z still prefer to work for a large company. But of the 29 percent who want to be their own boss, 59 percent want to open a small business, 22 percent want to become an influencer, and 14 percent want to work in a creative discipline.
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Gen Zers Are Landing Job Interviews Through TikTok
Fast Company, November 6
For job seekers, social media can be a way to find out who is hiring and which new roles are available within an industry. It can also be a way to connect with hiring managers and land job interviews. In some cases, candidates are posting videos on TikTok, and then sending them to recruiters at specific firms as part of their job applications. While TikTok has a long way to go before it can supplant LinkedIn as the top social media platform for job seekers, it does offer a new and creative way to attract the attention of hiring managers.
TikTok is giving platforms such as LinkedIn a run for their money, with one in five Gen Z respondents saying they have applied to jobs and gotten interviews through the video platform. Thus, social media does not just have to be for passive scrolling. It can also be a critical tool for proactive job seekers. If you are not incorporating it in your job search, you are leaving opportunities on the table. In fact, 86% of job seekers already use social media in their job search, utilizing hashtags in their social media posts, or even uploading their resume to TikTok directly. Employers are also meeting prospective employees where they are, posting their job openings on their TikTok pages. Those who follow their social media accounts will be the first to know about new roles and opportunities.
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AI Could Conduct Your Next Job Interview
Newsweek, November 13
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to become a part of day-to-day life, job seekers are showing concern over how it could become part of the interview process. In a recent survey, 43 percent of respondents said they felt uncomfortable with AI conducting job interviews, while only 32 percent expressed comfort, and 26 percent were unsure. The survey revealed generational divides in attitudes toward AI in hiring. Generation Z (ages 18-27) showed the highest comfort level, with 49 percent open to AI-led interviews, while only 20 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 60-78) felt the same.
It is becoming increasingly likely that AI will be used for job interviews in the near future, as companies can train AI to identify precisely the attributes and qualifications they seek. AI could speed up and improve recruitment by quickly scanning for specific skills, experiences, and personality traits. AI is already embedded in recruitment processes, analyzing resumes and assessing initial fit. The leap to AI-led interviews is only a matter of time. Since job interviews are inherently personal, they require the kind of nuanced interpersonal skills that current AI still struggles to interpret. For now, then, AI will not completely replace human interviewers.
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AI Tools Are Biased in Ranking Job Applicant Resumes
HR Dive, November 6
Artificial intelligence tools appear to show significant racial and gender biases when ranking resumes from job candidates. These biases appear to be based on perceptions about their names. Across 550 real-world resumes, the AI tools favored White-associated names 85% of the time and female-associated names only 11% of the time. The findings raise the question of whether there should be greater oversight and scrutiny over how AI-based hiring tools are used.
The study analyzed the resumes for more than 500 real-world job listings across nine occupations, adding up to more than 3 million comparisons between resumes and job descriptions. Overall, the AI tools preferred white-associated names 85% of the time and Black-associated names 9% of the time, as well as male-associated names 52% of the time and female-associated names 11% of the time. Using an intersectional lens, more patterns emerged. The smallest disparity occurred between typically White female names and typically White male names. The AI tools never preferred names typically associated with Black men over those associated with White men. However, the tools preferred typically Black female names 67% of the time and typically Black male names 15% of the time.
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Empower Diversity in AI Development
Communications of the ACM, November 7
Social biases could be exacerbated by the lack of diversity in the artificial intelligence (AI) field. These biases cannot be effectively addressed by technical solutions that aim at mitigating biases stemming from data sources and data processing or from the algorithm itself. A social view, which has been neglected in AI development so far, is needed to address the root causes of some biases, given that AI systems are often reflections of our social structures.
A lack of diversity in AI development contributes to AI system biases, given how easily individual biases can creep into the AI system. AI developers with similar demographic backgrounds make similar judgments, and hence, run the risk of codifying their social biases into an AI system that reinforces them. In contrast, diversity is associated with positive outcomes. For example, cross-cultural diversity and gender diversity improve requirement specification, project performance, and innovation, and they reduce biases. Without a diverse team, AI development may focus only on certain design considerations and performance measures based on narrow value judgments without considering the shared values of the broader community and diverse stakeholders. However, benefiting from diversity is challenging because it requires the right mix of participants and involves creating policies and procedures that help take advantage of diversity.
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The Importance of Robust Documentation in Software Development
Blog@CACM, November 8
Many developers and project managers focus on building functional code and shipping products rapidly, while overlooking the importance of maintaining detailed, precise, and comprehensive documentation. However, robust documentation plays a pivotal role in ensuring the long-term success of software projects. It forms the backbone for successful development, enables effective collaboration among teams, and significantly eases the burden of maintenance, ultimately reducing technical debt and improving project scalability. Without well-maintained documentation, even the most elegant codebases can become opaque, inefficient, and impossible to scale.
Both due to growing job workloads and the proliferation of third-party solutions, having a document automation framework in place is a downright necessity that saves time and large sums of money for organizations at all growth stages. It serves as a fundamental tool for knowledge transfer, all while supporting smooth collaboration among team members and maintaining continuity throughout the lifecycle of a project. Without it, even the best code can become difficult to understand, leading to longer onboarding times, reduced productivity, and, in worst-case scenarios, project failure. One of the key benefits of solid documentation is its ability to facilitate clear communication between developers, users, and stakeholders. It helps everyone stay on the same page, whether they are coding, testing, or using the final product. For new developers joining the team, good documentation drastically shortens the onboarding process, allowing them to get up to speed without constantly relying on others for help.
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